Decorative Elements Provided with a Circular or Crimped Configuration at Point of Sale or Point of Use

ABSTRACT

Decorative elements and decorative grass provided with a substantially flat configuration which, upon activation, can assume a curled or crimped configuration, preferably at the point of sale or point of use, as well as methods for producing the same.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 11/125,697, filed onMay 10, 2005; which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 10/263,059, filedOct. 1, 2002; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/799,980, filedMar. 6, 2001, now abandoned. This application is also acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/068,241, filed Feb. 6, 2002,now abandoned; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/538,412,filed Mar. 29, 2000, now abandoned; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser.No. 09/226,321, filed Jan. 2, 1999, now abandoned; which is acontinuation of U.S. Ser. No. 08/796,182, filed Feb. 7, 1997, now U.S.Pat. No. 5,891,286, issued Apr. 6, 1999.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to decorative elements and decorativegrass and methods for producing same, and more particularly, but not byway of limitation, to decorative elements and decorative grass providedin a substantially flat configuration which, upon activation, assumes acurled or crimped configuration at the point of sale or point of use, aswell as methods for producing same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Decorative grass has been used for many years in Easter baskets and forother decorative purposes. The decorative grass of the prior art hasbeen produced by numerous methods and from a variety of materials suchas polymeric materials, paper or the like. Typically, such materials arecut and shredded to produce segments having predetermined dimensions.One such prior art method for making decorative grass is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 4,292,266, issued to Weder et al. on Sep. 29, 1981,wherein a plastic film is extruded and cut into plastic strips which arepassed through a slow-speed godet, an oven and a high-speed godet sothat the strips are drawn down in width and thickness without breaking.From the high-speed godet, the strips or strands are chopped to adesired length and conveyed to a storage area for subsequent bagging andpackaging.

Traditionally, the decorative grasses are provided as individual,unattached segments of decorative grass. Such segments of decorativegrass may be provided with certain conformations which provide volumeand bulk to the packaging. For example, U.S. Ser. No. 09/586,901,entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CURLED DECORATIVE GRASS”,which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference, discloses amethod of providing curled configurations to decorative grass to provideimproved bulk and volume to the decorative grass.

While the prior art methods for making decorative grass have been widelyaccepted, new and improved methods for making, packaging, storing,shipping and displaying decorative grasses are being sought. It is tosuch decorative grasses and methods for producing same that the presentinvention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to decorative grasses and methods forproducing the same. Broadly, the present invention relates to decorativegrasses produced in a substantially flat configuration which, uponactivation, can assume a curled or crimped configuration, preferably atthe point of sale or point of use, as well as improved methods ofpackaging, storing, shipping and displaying such decorative grass. Suchdecorative grasses can also be utilized for non decorative purposes,such as packing material, animal bedding, cat litter, mulch for soil andmedia for plants. In addition, the present invention also relates todecorative elements, such as glitter, which are produced in a similarmanner and which can be activated to assume a three-dimensionalconfiguration, as well as methods for producing the same.

An object of the present invention is to provide a decorative grasshaving a substantially flat configuration which can be curled or crimpedat a point of sale or point of use.

Another object of the present invention, while achieving thebefore-stated object, is to provide a method for producing a decorativegrass having a substantially flat configuration which can be curled orcrimped at a point of sale or point of use.

Yet another object of the present invention, while achieving thebefore-stated objects, is to provide a method for producing decorativeelements having a substantially flat configuration which can beactivated to assume a three-dimensional configuration.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet or web of laminated materialconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the sheet or webof laminated material having a distortion set therein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first sheet or web of material and asecond sheet or web of material from which the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial of FIG. 1 is constructed, the first sheet or web of materialbeing provided with a length which is less than a length of the secondsheet or web of material.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first and second sheets or webs ofmaterial of FIG. 2 wherein the length of the first sheet or web ofmaterial has been stretched so that such length is the same as thelength of the second sheet or web of material.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sheet or web of laminated materialhaving a substantially flat configuration.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the sheet or web of laminated materialof FIG. 4 wherein the sheet or web of laminated material is curled.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the sheet or web of laminated materialof FIG. 4 wherein the sheet or web of laminated material is crimped.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a sheet or web of laminated materialconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the sheet or webof laminated material constructed from a sheet or web of material havinga substantially flat configuration and a sheet or web of heat shrinkablematerial.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the sheet or web of laminated materialof FIG. 7 wherein the sheet or web of laminated material has beenexposed to heat.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a sheet or web of laminated materialconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the sheet or webof laminated material formed of a sheet or web of material having asubstantially flat configuration and a sheet or web of material having ahygroscopic agent disposed thereon.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the sheet or web of laminated materialof FIG. 9 wherein the sheet or web of laminated material has beenexposed to moisture.

FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of a system for producingdecorative grass in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 11A is a schematic representation of a first set of blades and asecond set of blades of the system for producing decorative grass ofFIG. 11.

FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of a system for producingdecorative grass in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 12A is a schematic representation of a first set of blades and asecond set of blades of the system for producing decorative grass ofFIG. 12, wherein the first set of blades may disengage the second set ofblades.

FIG. 12B is a perspective view of strands of decorative grass producedfrom the system for producing decorative grass of FIG. 12 wherein thestrands of decorative grass are connected via an attach point.

FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a system for producingdecorative grass in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 13A is a schematic representation of a first set of blades and asecond set of blades of the system for producing decorative grass ofFIG. 13.

FIG. 14 is a schematic representation of a system for producingdecorative grass in accordance with the present invention, wherein afirst set of blades of the system for producing decorative grass areprovided with a radius notch.

FIG. 14A is a schematic representation of the first set of blades and asecond set of blades of the system for producing decorative grass ofFIG. 14.

FIG. 14B is a perspective view of strands of decorative grass producedfrom the system for producing decorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein thestrands of decorative grass are connected via an attach point.

FIG. 15 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein the radius notch of the first set ofblades is partially in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 16 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein the radius notch of the first set ofblades is in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 17 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein the radius notch of the first set ofblades is partially in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 18 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein a small portion of the radius notchof the first set of blades is in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 19 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein the radius notch of the first set ofblades is not in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 20 is a schematic representation of yet another system forproducing decorative grass in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 20A is a schematic representation of a set of blades disposed on ablade mandrel and in contact with a hardened mandrel of the system forproducing decorative grass of FIG. 20.

FIG. 21 is a system for producing decorative grass in accordance withthe present invention.

FIG. 21A is a schematic representation of a set of blades disposed on ablade mandrel and in contact with a hardened mandrel of the system forproducing decorative grass of FIG. 21, wherein the blade mandrel may beraised such that the set of blades are disengaged from the hardenedmandrel.

FIG. 21B is a perspective view of strands of decorative grass producedfrom the system for producing decorative grass of FIG. 21 wherein thestrands of decorative grass are connected via an attach point.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention contemplates decorative grass comprising anactivatable curling agent. Such decorative grass is produced by cuttingor shredding a sheet or web of material having the activatable curlingagent disposed thereon or incorporated therein. Individual strands ofdecorative grass produced therefrom are provided with a substantiallyflat configuration, and the strands of decorative grass will remain flatuntil heated, wetted, treated with a solvent or other methods known inthe art to activate the curling agent and thereby produce curls in thestrands of decorative grass. Optionally, upon activation, the strands ofdecorative grass may be provided with crimps or a combination of crimpsand curls, depending on the distribution of activatable curling agent onthe strands of decorative grass. Such decorative grass could be shippedand stored in a flattened condition and curled at or near the point ofuse so as to reduce freight costs, warehousing space and shelf space ina retail outlet.

The present invention also contemplates decorative grass which isproduced with a curled or crimped configuration and retained in theflattened form at the production stage, as well as decorative grassallowed to curl at the production stage and re-flattened followingproduction. Such decorative grass is then stored, shipped and displayedin the flattened form with the decorative grass being released to curlor crimp at or near the point of use. The curl or crimp could beretained in the flattened form by putting the decorative grass or thesheet or web of material from which the decorative grass is produced ina bag or other package of sufficient rigidity to prevent the materialfrom curling or crimping. Optionally, the sheet or web of material orthe decorative grass formed therefrom may be wound onto a roll. In afurther alternative, the individual segments or strands of decorativegrass may remain attached to another piece of material or to adissimilar material such as cardboard, and the decorative grass may beretained in the flattened form by holding the attach points withstaples, adhesive, clips or other materials. For example, strands ofdecorative grass which have already been stretched so as to enable theircurling when tension is released may be wrapped around a flat piece ofplastic or cardboard so as to keep them in the flattened conditionduring storage and shipping. Such decorative grass may be released andallowed to curl or crimp at the point of sale or point of use by cuttingor tearing the strands or segments of decorative grass from the attachpoints or by simply freeing the attach points from the rigid package andallowing the grass to curl or crimp while remaining attached to one ormore attach points. The attach points provide an additional advantage inthat they keep the strands or segments of decorative grass together in aneat bundle which provides for a decorative appearance but which alsoprovide a cushioning effect so as to prevent damage to contents ofbaskets or boxes or other packages while avoiding the problem of havingto clean up spilled strands of decorative grass.

Description of FIGS. 1-3

Referring now to the Drawings, shown in FIG. 1 is a sheet or web oflaminated material 10 from which decorative grass can be produced inaccordance with the present invention, the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 10 having a distortion set therein. The distortion isillustrated as being a curl; however, it should be understood that thedistortion may also be at least one crimp, as will be described in moredetail hereinafter. The sheet or web of laminated material 10 is formedof a first sheet or web of material 12 and a second sheet or web ofmaterial 14. The sheet or web of laminated material 10 has an uppersurface 16, a lower surface 18, a length 20 and a width 22.

Any sheet or web of material capable of being laminated to another sheetor web of material and capable of having a curl or crimp impartedthereto can be employed as the sheets or webs of material 12 and 14.However, desirable results can be achieved wherein the sheets or webs ofmaterial 12 and 14 are constructed from materials selected from thegroup consisting of paper, creped paper, polymeric film, wax paper,paper having a shape sustaining agent or laquer applied to at least aportion of one surface thereof, foil, metallized film, cloth, burlap andany combination or lamination thereof. The sheets or webs of material 12and 14 may be provided with any thickness, as long as the sheets or websof material 12 and 14 can function in accordance with the presentinvention. Desirably, each of the sheets or webs of material 12 and 14are provided with a thickness in a range of from about 0.1 mil to about30 mil.

At least one of the sheets or webs of material 12 and 14 may be providedwith a printed pattern and/or an embossed pattern disposed on at least aportion of one surface thereof, and the embossed pattern may be eitherin register or out of register with the printed pattern, or a portion ofthe embossed pattern may be in register with the printed pattern and aportion of the embossed pattern may be out of register with the printedpattern. The sheets or webs of material 12 and 14 may also vary incolor.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first sheet or web of material 12 of thesheet or web of laminated material 10 is provided with an upper surface24, a lower surface 26, a length 28 and a width 30. The second sheet orweb of material 14 of the sheet or web of laminated material 10 isprovided with an upper surface 32, a lower surface 34, a length 36 and awidth 38. The first sheet or web of material 12 is provided with adimension which is less than the associated dimension of the secondsheet or web of material 14; that is, the width 30 of the first sheet orweb of material 12 may be less than the width 38 of the second sheet orweb of material 14, or the length 28 of the first sheet or web ofmaterial 12 may be less than the length 36 of the second sheet or web ofmaterial 14. The first sheet or web of material 12 is thus stretched inone dimension to provide such dimension with the same size as theassociated dimension of the second sheet or web of material 14, and thenthe two sheets or webs of material 12 and 14 are laminated together. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 2, the length 28 of the first sheet or web ofmaterial 12 is less than the length 36 of the second sheet or web ofmaterial 14, and as shown in FIG. 3, the first sheet or web of material12 is stretched lengthwise so that the length 28 thereof is the same asthe length 36 of the second sheet or web of material 14. Followingstretching of the first sheet or web of material 12, the two sheets orwebs of material 12 and 14 are laminated together to form the sheet orweb of laminated material 10, substantially as shown in FIG. 1.Following lamination, the length 28 of the first sheet or web ofmaterial 12 contracts back to its original size, thereby causing a curlto be formed in the length 20 of the sheet or web of laminated material10, as shown in FIG. 1. Decorative grass formed from the sheet or web oflaminated material 10 shown in FIG. 1 will possess a torsion spring typecurl if the sheet or web of laminated material 10 is cut in thedirection of stretch, while the decorative grass will possess a helicalspring curl if the sheet or web of laminated material 10 is cut at anangle to the direction of stretch. Such methods of providing a presetcurl in a laminated material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,286,entitled “METHODS OF FORMING CURLED OR CRIMPED DECORATIVE ELEMENTSHAVING AN OPTICAL EFFECT”, issued to Weder on Apr. 6, 1999, theSpecification of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

However, prior to allowing the sheet or web of laminated material 10 toassume a curled configuration, the substantially flat sheet or web oflaminated material 10 may be disposed in a bag or package of sufficientrigidity and size to retain the sheet or web of laminated material 10 ina substantially flat configuration, thus preventing the sheet or web oflaminated material 10 from curling. In addition, the sheet or web oflaminated material 10 may be provided in the form of a roll of material,and the process of winding the sheet or web of material 10 onto the rollwill provide sufficient pressure and rigidity to maintain the sheet orweb of laminated material 10 in a substantially flat configuration untila portion of the sheet or web of laminated material 10 is unwound fromthe roll, thereby allowing such portion to assume the distortedconfiguration, i.e., a curled configuration. The process of cutting orshredding the sheet or web of laminated material 10 to provide strandsof decorative grass will be discussed in detail herein after withregards to FIGS. 11-21B. In addition, the individual strands ofdecorative grass formed from the sheet or web of laminated material 10may be held together at attach points, as will be discussed in greaterdetail herein below, thereby providing easier manipulation of thestrands of decorative grass, such as for placing between two pieces ofcardboard or winding onto a roll.

Description of FIGS. 4-6

Shown in FIG. 4 is a sheet or web of laminated material 50 from whichdecorative grass may be produced in accordance with the presentinvention. The sheet or web of laminated material 50 is similar to thesheet or web of laminated material 10 described in detail herein above,except the sheet or web of laminated material 50 is produced in asubstantially flat configuration and does not have a preset distortiontherein. The sheet or web of laminated material 50 may be curled orcrimped by any method known in the art before or after cutting orshredding the sheet or web of laminated material to produce strands ofdecorative grass, as will be described in detail hereinafter.

The sheet or web of laminated material 50 has an upper surface 52, alower surface 54, a length 56 and a width 58. The sheet or web oflaminated material 50 is formed of a first sheet or web of material 60and a second sheet or web of material 62. The sheets or webs of material60 and 62 may be constructed of the same materials and in a similarmanner as the sheets or webs of material 12 and 14.

Following lamination of the first sheet or web of material 60 to thesecond sheet or web of material 62 to form the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 50, the sheet or web of laminated material 50 may be curled toprovide a curled sheet or web of laminated material 50 a, as shown inFIG. 5, or crimped to provide a crimped sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 50 b, as shown in FIG. 6. Methods and apparatus for providing asheet of material with a curl or a crimp are described in detail in U.S.Pat. No. 5,891,286, which has previously been incorporated herein byreference. However, the present invention is not limited to the use ofsuch methods and apparatus, and any method know in the art for providinga curl or crimp to a sheet or web of material may be utilized inaccordance with the present invention.

Following production of the curled sheet or web of laminated material 50a or the crimped sheet or web of laminated material 50 b, such sheet orweb of laminated material 50 a or 50 b may be cut or shredded asdescribed hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 11-21B to form strands ofdecorative grass which are curled or crimped. However, the strands ofdecorative grass may be retained in a substantially flat configurationduring shipping and storage and may not assume the curled or crimpedconfiguration until at the point of sale or point of use. The sheet orweb of laminated material 50 may be provided with a curl or crimptherein as described above, and the curled sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 50 a or the crimped sheet or web of laminated material 50 b maybe maintained in the substantially flat configuration by placing suchsheet or web of laminated material 50 a or 50 b in a rigid, strainedconfiguration, such as by applying pressure thereto by placing suchsheet or web of laminated material 50 a or 50 b between two pieces ofcardboard or winding such sheet or web of laminated material 50 a or 50b onto a roll. Following shredding to form strands of decorative grass(as described herein below), the strands of decorative grass may be heldin a rigid, strained configuration in a similar fashion as describedabove with reference to the sheet or web of laminated material 10 havinga preset distortion therein of FIG. 1 to maintain the decorative grassin a substantially flat configuration until curling or crimping isdesired, such as at the point of sale or point of use. That is, thestrands of decorative grass formed from the curled sheet or web oflaminated material 50 a (FIG. 5) or the crimped sheet or web oflaminated material 50 b (FIG. 6) may be held in a substantially flatconfiguration by placing the strands of decorative grass between twopieces of cardboard or by winding the strands of decorative grass on aroll. When desired to provide curling or crimping to the strands ofdecorative grass, the strands of decorative grass are removed frombetween the two pieces of cardboard or upon unwinding of the strands ofdecorative grass, thereby releasing the tension and pressure placed onthe strands of decorative grass and providing a curled or crimpedconfiguration thereto. Individual strands of decorative grass formedfrom the curled or crimped sheets or webs of laminated material 50 a or50 b may be held together at attach points, as will be discussed indetail hereinbelow, thereby providing easier manipulation of the strandsof decorative grass, such as for placing between two pieces of cardboardof winding onto a roll.

While the sheet or web of laminated material 50 used in the methodsdescribed hereinbefore with reference to FIGS. 4-6 is laminated, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of alaminated material in such a method. That is, a sheet or web ofunlaminated material comprising a single sheet or web of material may beutilized in a similar fashion as described hereinbefore with referenceto FIGS. 4-6 such that the sheet or web of unlaminated material iscurled or crimped and then cut or shredded to provide strands ofdecorative grass, wherein the sheet or web of unlaminated material orthe strands of decorative grass formed therefrom are maintained in asubstantially flat configuration until curling or crimping is desiredtherein. The sheet or web of unlaminated material may be provided with asubstantially flat configuration following curling or crimping and priorto cutting or shredding to form decorative grass, or the sheet or web ofunlaminated material may maintain the curled or crimped configuration,and following cutting or shredding thereof to form strands of decorativegrass, pressure may be applied to temporarily provide a substantiallyflat configuration to the strands of decorative grass which ismaintained until curling or crimping is desired, such as at the point ofsale or point of use.

In addition, the invention also includes a sheet or web of unlaminatedmaterial which comprises two or more sheets or webs of material whichare unconnected. In this manner, the decorative grass is a mixture ortwo or more materials which are comingled and have the same crimped orcurled configuration.

Description of FIGS. 7-10

Shown in FIG. 7 is a sheet or web of laminated material 70 from whichdecorative grass can be produced in accordance with the presentinvention. The sheet or web of laminated material 70 has an uppersurface 72, a lower surface 74, a length 76 and a width 78.

The sheet or web of laminated material 70 comprises a first sheet or webof material 80 and a second sheet or web of material 82. The secondsheet or web of material 82 is provided with a substantially flatconfiguration. The second sheet or web of material 82 may be constructedof any material capable of having another sheet or web of materiallaminated thereto and capable of functioning as described herein. Forexample, the second sheet or web of material 82 may be constructed frompaper, creped paper, polymeric film, wax paper, paper having a shapesustaining agent or laquer applied to at least a portion of one surfacethereof, foil, metallized film, cloth, burlap and any combination orlamination thereof.

The first sheet or web of material 80 is constructed of a material whichis provided with a substantially flat configuration, but which contractsor shrinks when exposed to a sufficient level of heat, while the secondsheet or web of material 82 does not react by shrinking when exposed tothe same temperature or sufficient level of heat as the first sheet orweb of material 80. That is, the first sheet or web of material 80shrinks at a lower temperature than the second sheet or web of material82, or the first and second sheets or webs of material 80 and 82 bothshrink in response to heat but at differential rates in the sametemperature range. In this manner, the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 70 may be shredded or cut to produce decorative grass whereinthe individual strands of decorative grass are provided with asubstantially linear, flat configuration. The strands of decorativegrass may be packaged, stored, shipped and displayed in such asubstantially linear, flat configuration, allowing the consumer to curlthe decorative grass at the point of use by heating the strands ofdecorative grass, such as by exposure of the decorative grass to a hairdryer or an oven, or by placing between two sheets of cardboard in amicrowave oven (so as to absorb the microwave energy). In this manner,the substantially flat, individual strands of decorative grass are moreeasily separated by the consumer than strands of decorative grass havingcurled or crimped configurations which are intertwined in a cohesivemass. In addition, such method allows for easy removal of a portion ofthe stands of decorative grass and easy storage of the remaining portionof the decorative grass for future use. However, it is to be understoodthat the present invention is not limited to curling the decorativegrass at the point of sale or the point of use, and decorative grassformed as described above may be curled at the point of production, ifdesired.

Optionally, the sheet or web of laminated material 70 may be curled byexposure to heat prior to cutting or shredding to form decorative grass.Shown in FIG. 8 is the sheet or web of laminated material 70 which hasbeen exposed to heat, and therefore a curl has been formed along thelength 76 thereof. Following curling of the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 70, the curled sheet or web of laminated material 70 and/or thestrands of decorative grass formed therefrom may be retained in aconstrained manner as described in detail hereinabove which provides asubstantially flat configuration thereto until such constraints areremoved, thereby allowing the sheet or web of laminated material 70 orthe strands of decorative grass formed therefrom to assume the relaxed,curled configuration.

In addition, while it is described and illustrated herein that the sheetor web of laminated material 70, and therefore the strands of decorativegrass formed therefrom, is provided with a curl along the length 76thereof, it is to be understood that the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 70, as well as the strands of decorative grass formedtherefrom, may be provided with a curl along the width 78 thereof, orthe curl may be disposed diagonally and span both the length 76 andwidth 78 thereof.

Such strands of decorative grass may also be attached to an attachingpoint, as described in detail hereinbelow. By providing an attach pointof the same material or dissimilar material to the individual strands ofdecorative grass, the strands of decorative grass can be manipulated inan easier manner, by holding the individual strands of decorative grassin the same direction and in substantially the same configuration and bypreventing unwanted intertwining and commingling of the individualstrands of decorative grass.

Other methods of providing the second sheet or web of material with asubstantially flat configuration which can be activated to form a curledor crimped configuration may be utilized. Shown in FIG. 9 is a sheet orweb of laminated material 90 from which decorative grass can be producedin accordance with the present invention. The sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 90 has an upper surface 92, a lower surface 94, a length 96 anda width 98.

The sheet or web of laminated material 90 comprises a first sheet or webof material 100 and a second sheet or web of material 102. The firstsheet or web of material 100 has an upper surface 104 and a lowersurface 106 and is provided with a substantially flat configuration. Thesecond sheet or web of material 102 has an upper surface 108 and a lowersurface 110 and is also provided with a substantially flatconfiguration. At least a portion of the upper surface 108 of the secondsheet or web of material 102 is laminated to the lower surface 106 ofthe first sheet or web of material 100.

The second sheet or web of material 102 may be constructed of anymaterial capable of having another sheet or web of material laminatedthereto and capable of functioning as described herein. For example, thesecond sheet or web of material 102 may be constructed from paper,creped paper, polymeric film, wax paper, paper having a shape sustainingagent or laquer applied to at least a portion of one surface thereof,foil, metallized film, cloth, burlap and any combination or laminationthereof.

The first sheet or web of material 100 contains a hygroscopic agent 112which is activated by exposure to moisture, wherein the hygroscopicagent 112 expands upon exposure to moisture and thereby imparts a curlto the first sheet or web of material 100 and to the sheet or web oflaminated material 90 formed therefrom and/or to the strands ofdecorative grass cut from the sheet or web of laminated material 90. Thehygroscopic agent 112 may be incorporated in the first sheet or web ofmaterial 100 upon formation of the first sheet or web of material 100,or the hygroscopic agent 112 may be applied to at least a portion of oneof the upper and lower surfaces 104 and 106 of the first sheet or web ofmaterial 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the hygroscopic agent 112is incorporated in a lacquer, such as an acrylic lacquer 114, which isapplied to at least a portion of the upper surface 104 of the firstsheet or web of material 100.

The term “hygroscopic agent” as used herein will be understood to referto any material which can be applied to or incorporated in a sheet orweb of material or a lacquer applied to the sheet or web of material andwhich expands or swells upon exposure to moisture. Many types ofhygroscopic agents are known to those of ordinary skill in the art andcould be utilized in the manner described herein. In particular, gelatinand pectin have been utilized as hygroscopic agents in the mannerdescribed herein; however, the invention is not limited to the use ofsuch compounds as hygroscopic agents.

The sheet or web of laminated material 90 may be shredded or cut toproduce decorative grass wherein the individual strands of decorativegrass are provided with a substantially linear, flat configuration. Thestrands of decorative grass may be packaged, stored, shipped anddisplayed in such a substantially linear, flat configuration, allowingthe consumer to curl the decorative grass at the point of use byexposing the strands of decorative grass to moisture. In this manner,the substantially flat, individual strands of decorative grass are moreeasily separated by the consumer than strands of decorative grass havingcurled or crimped configurations which are intertwined in a cohesivemass. In addition, such method allows for easy removal of a portion ofthe stands of decorative grass and easy storage of the remaining portionof the decorative grass for future use. However, it is to be understoodthat the present invention is not limited to curling the decorativegrass at the point of sale or the point of use, and decorative grassformed as described above may be curled at the point of production, ifdesired.

Optionally, the sheet or web of laminated material 90 may be curled byexposure to moisture prior to cutting or shredding to form decorativegrass. Shown in FIG. 10 is the sheet or web of laminated material 90which has been exposed to moisture, and therefore a curl has been formedalong the length 96 thereof. Following curling of the sheet or web oflaminated material 90, the curled sheet or web of laminated material 90and/or the strands of decorative grass formed therefrom may be retainedin a constrained manner as described in detail hereinabove whichprovides a substantially flat configuration thereto until suchconstraints are removed, thereby allowing the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 90 or the strands of decorative grass formed therefrom toassume the relaxed, curled configuration.

In addition, while it is described and illustrated herein that the sheetor web of laminated material 90, and therefore the strands of decorativegrass formed therefrom, is provided with a curl along the length 96thereof, it is to be understood that the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 90, as well as the strands of decorative grass formedtherefrom, may be provided with a curl along the width 98 thereof, orthe curl may be disposed diagonally and span both the length 96 andwidth 98 thereof.

Such strands of decorative grass may also be attached to an attachingpoint, as described in detail hereinbelow. By providing an attach pointof the same material or dissimilar material to the individual strands ofdecorative grass, the strands of decorative grass can be manipulated inan easier manner, by holding the individual strands of decorative grassin the same manner and in substantially the same configuration and bypreventing unwanted intertwining and commingling of the individualstrands of decorative grass.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theuse of laminated materials when heat shrinkable and hygroscopicmaterials are utilized as activatable curling agents. For example, thedecorative grass may be formed of an unlaminated sheet or web ofmaterial having a lacquer containing a hygroscopic agent disposed on atleast a portion of one surface thereof. In a further alternative, asheet or web of heat shrinkable material may be formed by extruding witha multiple extruder into the same die or into different dies two resinsthat contract at a different rate when heated or exposed to moisture. Inyet another alternative, a sheet or web of heat shrinkable material maybe formed by extruding through a multiple screw extruder or throughmultiple extruders by placing resin into the same die or into multipledies different melt temperature webs and pulling the material away fromthe die after one of the webs has partially or completely solidified,thereby imparting stress or stretch in one of the webs which is a lesseramount of stretch than in the other web. Optionally, the beforedescribed method may be utilized with the stretch occurring after bothwebs have solidified. Any of the above described methods may be utilizedwherein one web is mated to the other web within the flow of resinoccurring at an angle to the first web, thereby imparting a differentialcontraction level at an angle to the machine direction, therebyfacilitating production of helically curled strands of decorative grass.In addition, any of the above described methods may be utilized togetherand alternated so as to cause varying curls in the same strand ordifferent strands of decorative grass cut from the same web.

Another method of causing a sheet or web of material from whichdecorative grass is produced to curl involves coextruding a shrinkablematerial with a non-shrinkable material and heating them subsequently.Such method may be used in conjunction with prestretching the film at orafter the time of extrusion. Indeed, any of the methods described hereinwhich include the use of heat shrinkable materials may also be combinedwith the method of prestretching the sheet or web of material from whichthe decorative grass is produced.

In addition, it is also to be understood that the present invention isnot limited to the use of heat shrinkable and hygroscopic materials asactivatable curling agents which allow the decorative grass to be curledupon activation. The present invention also envisions other activatablecurling agents, such as the use of chemicals which will curl thedecorative grass upon treatment with solvents or other chemicals, aswell as other methods of incorporating activatable curling agents whichare known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Another method of curling the decorative grass at the point of sale orthe point of use involves simply stretching the strands of decorativegrass to impart a curled configuration thereto.

While methods of providing decorative grass with a curled configurationhave been described herein, all of the above described methods can beused to provide decorative grass with configurations other than curls.For example, rather than applying differentially expanding orcontracting materials in an overall or uniform manner, such materialsmay be applied in a manner which allows the contracting or expandingmaterial to be applied at only certain points, or such materials may beapplied at differential thicknesses at different points, or, in the caseof the hygroscopic materials, such materials may be applied withbarriers to moisture absorption at certain points. Application of suchmaterials in the above described methods results in differential foldingof the strands of decorative grass, and rather than having a curl ofroughly smooth and uniform dimensions, a crimped material or acombination of crimped and curled material could be achieved.

Additionally in lieu of applying the above-noted expanding orcontracting materials to a sheet or web of material in the form ofstrips, such materials could be applied in any shape, such as a circle,so that when contraction occurs, a three dimensional configuration wouldbe formed which could serve decorative and/or cushioning and/orinsulating purposes.

In a further alternative, the strands of decorative grass need not becurled solely in a concentric or torsion spring manner or in a helicalor bed spring-type manner, resulting from differential contraction orexpansion across the length of the strands, but such strands could alsobe curled or curved due to differential contraction or expansion acrossthe width of the strand.

Description of FIGS. 11-12B

Several methods of shredding a sheet or web of material to producedecorative grass or other decorative elements are known in the art andmay be utilized to produce the decorative grass of the present inventionfrom the sheets or webs of material described herein. For example, U.S.Pat. No. 5,891,286, which has previously been incorporated herein byreference, discloses methods and apparatus for producing decorativegrass and decorative elements such as glitter, and such methods may beutilized to cut the sheets or webs of material described herein toproduce the decorative grass of the present invention. In addition, anyof the methods known in the art may be utilized to shred the sheet orweb of material parallel to a stretch, curl or crimp disposed therein,or perpendicular to the stretch, curl or crimp, or at an angle to thestretch, curl or crimp.

Optionally, shown in FIGS. 11 and 11A is a system for producingdecorative grass 150 constructed in accordance with the presentinvention. The system for producing decorative grass 150 is a rotaryknife-type shredder and comprises a first set of blades 152 and a secondset of blades 154. The first set of blades 152 are disposed on a firstmandrel 156 and the second set of blades 154 are disposed on a secondmandrel 158. Each individual blade of the first set of blades 152 has afirst side 153 and a second side 155, while each individual blade of thesecond set of blades 154 has a first side 157 and a second side 159.

When the first mandrel 156 is rotated in a direction 160 while thesecond mandrel 158 is rotated in a direction 162, as illustrated inFIGS. 11 and 11A, the first and second set of blades 152 and 154 overlapsuch that the second side 155 of each individual blade of the first setof blades 152 is in contact with the first side 157 of an individualblade of the second set of blades 154, and a sheet or web of material,such as one of the sheets or webs of laminated material 10, 50, 70 or 90described herein above (the sheet or web of material 10 shown in FIG. 11for illustration purposes only), is passed in between the first andsecond set of blades 152 and 154, thereby resulting in shredding of thesheet or web of material to form individual strands of decorative grass164. The individual blades of the first and second set of blades 152 and154 are positioned at a certain distance away from one another, and agap 166 formed by this distance determines the width of the individualstrands of decorative grass 164.

Such system for producing decorative grass 150 can cut from sheets ofmaterial so as to produce strands of decorative grass 164 having apredetermined length based on the length of the sheet of material, orthe system for producing decorative grass 150 can cut from rolls ofmaterial to form a shredded roll of material, in which case theindividual strands of decorative grass 164 having a desiredpredetermined length would have to be cut from the shredded roll ofmaterial subsequent to the shredding process. Such a method of shreddinga web or roll of material and subsequently cutting into individualstrands of decorative grass has been disclosed in U.S. Ser. No.09/586,901, which has previously been expressly incorporated herein byreference. Other methods of shredding a web or roll of material andsubsequently cutting into individual strands of decorative grass areknown in the art and may be utilized in accordance with the presentinvention.

Shown in FIGS. 12 and 12A is a system for producing decorative grass 150a. The system for producing decorative grass 150 a is similar to thesystem for producing decorative grass 150 described herein above, exceptthat the system for producing decorative grass 150 a has been adapted soas to leave uncut areas in the sheet or web of material passed throughthe system for producing decorative grass 150 a which serve as attachpoints for the strands of decorative grass. The system for producingdecorative grass 150 a comprises a first set of blades 152 a disposed ona first mandrel 156 a and a second set of blades 154 a disposed on asecond mandrel 158 a. When the first mandrel 156 a is rotated in adirection 160 a and the second mandrel 158 a is rotated in a direction162 a, the blades of the first and second set of blades 152 a and 154 aoverlap and touch with side pressure, and a gap 166 a between individualblades of the first and second set of blades 152 a and 154 a determinethe width of individual strands of decorative grass 164 a formed from asheet or web of material (the sheet or web of material 10 illustrated inFIG. 12 for illustration purposes only) passed between the first andsecond set of blades 152 a and 154 a of the system for producingdecorative grass 150 a. In addition, the first mandrel 156 a moves upand down at an angle, as indicated by an arrow 168 in FIG. 12A, therebyallowing the first set of blades 152 a to engage and disengage thesecond set of blades 154 a. When the first set of blades 152 a disengagethe second set of blades 154 a, an attach point 170 (FIG. 12B) is formedin which the individual strands of decorative grass 164 a are connected.Shown in FIG. 12B is a group of individual strands of decorative grass164 a produced from the system for producing decorative grass 150 a,wherein the individual strands of decorative grass 164 a are connectedto each other via the attach point 170. The length of the sheet or webof material which passes through the system for producing decorativegrass 150 a while the first mandrel 156 a is raised and the first andsecond set of blades 152 a and 154 a are disengaged determines thelength of the attach point 170 to which the strands of decorative grass164 a are attached.

Description of FIGS. 13-19

Shown in FIG. 13 is another system for producing decorative grass 180constructed in accordance with the present invention. The system forproducing decorative grass 180 is a rotary knife-type shredder andcomprises a first set of blades 182 and a second set of blades 184. Asshown in FIG. 13A, each individual blade of the first set of blades 182has a first side 186 and a second side 188, while each individual bladeof the second set of blades 184 has a first side 190 and a second side192. The first set of blades 182 are disposed on a first mandrel 194while the second set of blades 184 are disposed on a second mandrel 196.When the first mandrel 194 is rotated in a direction 198 and the secondmandrel 196 is rotated in a direction 200, as illustrated in FIG. 13,the first and second set of blades 182 and 184 overlap, substantially asshown in FIG. 13A, such that the first side 186 of an individual bladeof the first set of blades 182 touches the second side 192 of anindividual blade of the second set of blades 182, while the second side188 of an individual blade of the first set of blades 182 touches thefirst side 190 of an individual blade of the second set of blades 184. Asheet or web of material, such as one of the sheets or webs of laminatedmaterial 10, 50, 70 or 90 described herein above (the sheet or web oflaminated material 10 shown in FIG. 13 for illustration purposes only)may be passed between the overlapping region of the first and second setof blades 182 and 184, resulting in shredding of the sheet or web oflaminated material 10 to form individual strands of decorative grass202. The individual blades of the first set of blades 182 are providedwith a width 204, and the individual blades of the second set of blades184 are provided with a width 206, and the widths 204 and 206 aresubstantially the same. The widths 204 and 206 determine the width ofthe individual strands of decorative grass 202.

Such system for producing decorative grass 180 can cut from sheets ofmaterial so as to produce strands of decorative grass 202 having apredetermined length based on the length of the sheet of material, orthe system for producing decorative grass 180 can cut from rolls ofmaterial to form a shredded roll of material, in which case theindividual strands of decorative grass 202 having a desiredpredetermined length would have to be cut from the shredded roll ofmaterial subsequent to the shredding process. Such a method of shreddinga web or roll of material and subsequently cutting into individualstrands of decorative grass has been disclosed in U.S. Ser. No.09/586,901, which has previously been expressly incorporated herein byreference. Other methods of shredding a web or roll of material andsubsequently cutting into individual strands of decorative grass areknown in the art and may be utilized in accordance with the presentinvention.

Shown in FIGS. 14 and 14A is a system for producing decorative grass 180a. The system for producing decorative grass 180 a is similar to thesystem for producing decorative grass 180 described herein above, exceptthat the system for producing decorative grass 180 a has been adapted soas to leave uncut areas in the sheet or web of material passed therethrough which serve as attach points for the strands of decorativegrass. The system for producing decorative grass 180 a comprises a firstset of blades 182 a disposed on a first mandrel 194 a and a second setof blades 184 a disposed on a second mandrel 196 a. As shown in FIG.14A, each individual blade of the first set of blades 182 a has a firstside 186 a and a second side 188 a, while each individual blade of thesecond set of blades 184 a has a first side 190 a and a second side 192a. When the first mandrel 194 a is rotated in a direction 198 a and thesecond mandrel 196 a is rotated in a direction 200 a, as illustrated inFIG. 14, the first and second set of blades 182 a and 184 a overlap,substantially as shown in FIG. 14A, such that the first side 186 a of anindividual blade of the first set of blades 182 a touches the secondside 192 a of an individual blade of the second set of blades 184 a,while the second side 188 a of an individual blade of the first set ofblades 182 a touches the first side 190 a of an individual blade of thesecond set of blades 184 a. A sheet or web of material, such as thesheet or web of laminated material 10 shown in FIG. 14 for illustrationpurposes only, may be passed between the overlapping region of the firstand second set of blades 182 a and 184 a, resulting in shredding of thesheet or web of laminated material 10 to form individual strands ofdecorative grass 202 a. The individual blades of the first set of blades182 a are provided with a width 204 a, and the individual blades of thesecond set of blades 184 a are provided with a width 206 a, and thewidths 204 a and 206 a are substantially the same. The widths 204 a and206 a determine the width of the individual strands of decorative grass202 a.

In the system for producing decorative grass 180 a, the first set ofblades 182 a is provided with a radius notch 208. Upon rotation of thefirst mandrel 194 a in the direction 198 a and the second mandrel 196 ain the direction 200 a, the region of the first set of blades 182 acontaining the radius notch 208 does not contact a sheet or web ofmaterial (such as the sheet or web of laminated material 10 shown inFIG. 14), and therefore the sheet or web of material which passesthrough the system for producing decorative grass 180 a between thesecond set of blades 184 a and the radius notch 208 of the first set ofblades 182 a is not cut but rather is left intact to form an attachpoint 210 to which the individual strands of decorative grass 202 apreviously cut from the sheet or web of material are connected. Shown inFIG. 14B is a group of individual strands of decorative grass 202 aproduced from the system for producing decorative grass 180 a in whichthe individual strands of decorative grass 202 a are connected to eachother via the attach point 210.

Shown in FIGS. 15-19 is the system for producing decorative grass 180 aat various stages during production. Shown in FIG. 14 is the initialcontact between the radius notch 208 of the first set of blades 182 aand the second set of blades 184 a. In FIG. 15, a first portion of theradius notch 208 of the first set of blades 182 a is in contact with thesecond set of blades 184 a such that the sheet or web of material passedtherebetween is not being split but rather is forming a lower portion ofthe attach point 210. In FIG. 16, all of the radius notch 208 of thefirst set of blades 182 a is in contact with the second set of blades184 a such that the sheet or web of material passed therebetween isforming the attach point 210. In FIG. 17, a portion of the radius notch208 of the first set of blades 182 a is still in contact with the secondset of blades 184 a and forming an upper portion of the attach point210, while another portion of the first set of blades 182 a iscontacting the second set of blades 184 a such that the sheet or web ofmaterial passed between this connection is cut to release the strands ofdecorative grass 202 a having the attach point 210 connected thereto,and the portion of the sheet or web of material is then again beingshredded to form another section of individual strands of decorativegrass 202 a. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the radius notch 208 of thefirst set of blades 182 a moves beyond the second set of blades 184 asuch that the connection between the first and second set of blades 182a and 184 a is blade-to-blade, as shown in FIG. 14A. It is important tonote in FIGS. 15-19 the first set of blades 182 a never totallydisengages the second set of blades 184 a.

Description of FIGS. 20-21B

Shown in FIG. 20 is a system for producing decorative grass 220constructed in accordance with the present invention. The system forproducing decorative grass 220 is a score cutting-style arrangementshredding process. The system for producing decorative grass 220comprises a set of blades 222 disposed on a blade mandrel 224, and ahardened mandrel 226, which is made of a substantially shape sustainingmaterial. The set of blades 222 disposed on the blade mandrel 224 are indownward physical contact with the hardened mandrel 226. A sheet or webof material, such as the sheet or web of laminated material 10 shown inFIG. 20 for purposes of illustration only, is passed between the blademandrel 224 and the hardened mandrel 226, and when the blade mandrel 224is rotated in a direction 228 and the hardened mandrel 226 is rotated ina direction 230, the sheet or web of material comes into contact withthe set of blades 222 and is shredded to form individual strands ofdecorative grass 232. The individual blades of the set of blades 222 aredisposed at a distance 234 from each other, and the distance 234determines the width of the individual strands of decorative grass 232.

Such system for producing decorative grass 220 can cut from sheets ofmaterial so as to produce strands of decorative grass 232 having apredetermined length based on the length of the sheet of material, orthe system for producing decorative grass 220 can cut from rolls ofmaterial to form a shredded roll of material, in which case theindividual strands of decorative grass 232 having a desiredpredetermined length would have to be cut from the shredded roll ofmaterial subsequent to the shredding process. Such a method of shreddinga web or roll of material and subsequently cutting into individualstrands of decorative grass has been disclosed in U.S. Ser. No.09/586,901, which has previously been incorporated by reference herein.Other methods of shredding a web or roll of material and subsequentlycutting into individual strands of decorative grass are known in the artand may be utilized in accordance with the present invention.

Shown in FIGS. 21 and 21A is a system for producing decorative grass 220a constructed in accordance with the present invention. The system forproducing decorative grass 220 a is similar to the system for producingdecorative grass 220 described herein above, except that the system forproducing decorative grass 220 a has been adapted so as to leave uncutareas in the sheet or web of material passed there through which servesas attach points for the strands of decorative grass. The system forproducing decorative grass 220 a comprises a set of blades 222 adisposed on a blade mandrel 224 a, and a hardened mandrel 226 a, whichis made of a substantially shape sustaining material. The set of blades222 a disposed on the blade mandrel 224 a are in downward physicalcontact with the hardened mandrel 226 a. A sheet or web of material,such as the sheet or web of laminated material 10 shown in FIG. 21 forpurposes of illustration only, is passed between the blade mandrel 224 aand the hardened mandrel 226 a, and when the blade mandrel 224 a isrotated in a direction 228 a and the hardened mandrel 226 a is rotatedin a direction 230 a, the sheet or web of material comes into contactwith the set of blades 222 a and is shredded to form individual strandsof decorative grass 232 a. The individual blades of the set of blades222 a are disposed at a distance 234 a from each other, and the distance234 a determines the width of the individual strands of decorative grass232 a.

In addition, the blade mandrel 224 a moves up and down off of thehardened mandrel 226 a by use of an air cylinder or cam in thedirections indicated by an arrow 236, thereby raising the set of blades222 a out of contact with the hardened mandrel 226 a and thus the sheetor web of material passed between the blade mandrel 224 a and thehardened mandrel 226 a. When the blade mandrel 224 a is moved in anupward direction as indicated by the arrow 236 such that the set ofblades 222 a disengage the hardened mandrel 226 a, an attach point 238(FIG. 21B) is formed in which the individual strands of decorative grass232 a are connected. Shown in FIG. 21B is a group of individual strandsof decorative grass 232 a produced from the system for producingdecorative grass 220 a wherein the individual strands of decorativegrass 232 a are connected to each other via the attach point 238. Thelength of the sheet or web of material which passes through the systemfor producing decorative grass 220 a while the blade mandrel 224 a israised in the direction indicated by the arrow 236, thereby disengagingthe set of blades 222 a from the hardened mandrel 226 a, determines thelength of the attach point 238 to which the strands of decorative grass232 a are attached.

It is to be understood that any method of forming the decorative grassof the present invention, such as the systems for producing decorativegrass described herein as well as any method known in the art, could beperformed in line with an extrusion operation using razor blades or anyother cutting method, shredding in wider strips and stretching thesestrips to form narrower and thinner strips.

As stated above, the sheet or web of material from which the decorativegrass is produced may be provided in a substantially flat configurationand cut or shredded to produce strands of decorative grass having asubstantially flat configuration, or the sheet or web of material fromwhich the decorative grass is produced may be curled prior to cutting.The sheet or web of material may be placed under stress, causing thesheet or web of material to temporarily assume a substantially flatconfiguration, and upon shredding, the strands of decorative grassformed therefrom may be retained in the substantially flat configurationuntil curling or crimping is desired, or the strands of decorative grasscut from the sheet or web of material may be allowed to curl or crimpupon shredding from the sheet or web of material. In a third option, thesheet or web of material may be curled and cut or shredded in such acurled or crimped configuration. The strands of decorative grass formedtherefrom may then be exposed to sufficient pressure to cause thestrands of decorative grass to assume a substantially flat configurationuntil crimping or curling is desired, at which time the strands ofdecorative grass are released from such pressure and allowed to relaxand curl or crimp. Any of the above described embodiments may also beemployed with strands of decorative grass attached at an attach point.

Changes may be made in the construction and the operation of the variouscomponents, elements and assemblies described herein or in the steps orthe sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the followingclaims.

1. A method for providing curled or crimped decorative grass,comprising: providing a first sheet or web of material having asubstantially flat configuration, the first sheet or web of materialhaving an upper surface and a lower surface; providing a second sheet orweb of material having an upper surface and a lower surface, the secondsheet or web of material formed of a material which contracts uponactivation; laminating the lower surface of the first sheet or web ofmaterial to the upper surface of the second sheet or web of material toform a sheet or web of laminated material; applying pressure to anattach point on the sheet of material to maintain the sheet of materialin a substantially flat configuration; and, cutting the sheet or web oflaminated material into strips to form strands of decorative grasshaving a substantially flat configuration which can assume a curled orcrimped configuration upon activation.